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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. last — finally
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. file — a tool
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bound — obliged
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. last — to go on
  18. stand — to bear
  19. file — a line of people
  20. last — final
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. file — a document

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com